A discovery “exciting“who could”revolutionize treatment for men“. Scientists at the University of East Anglia in England have discovered five bacteria – including three new ones – believed to be linked to the aggressive prostate cancer. This discovery could be a potential revolution for the prevention and treatment of the deadliest form of the disease.
Published on April 18, 2022 in the magazine European Urology OncologyL’study led genetic analyzes on the urine and prostate tissue of more than 600 men with and without prostate cancer. Men who had one or more species of bacteria in their urine, prostate or tumor tissue had 2.6 times more likely to see their cancer at an early stage progress to an advanced form disease compared to those who did not.
However, the study does not definitively prove that these bacteria cause or exacerbate prostate cancer. But if current work succeeds in confirming their role, researchers could develop tests to identify the men most at risk, and potentially administer antibiotics to them to treat the bacteria responsible for the advance of the disease. “If the team can demonstrate that these newly identified bacteria can not only predict, but also cause aggressive prostate cancer, for the first time, we may be able to prevent the onset of prostate cancer. It would be a huge breakthrough that could save thousands of lives every year.“, comment the researchers.
“Antibiotics don’t penetrate the prostate very well“
But for Colin Cooper, the study’s principal investigator, it’s not as simple as that and it’s still possible that the bacteria is not involved in the disease. “If you knew for certain that a species of bacteria caused prostate cancer, you could find an antibiotic to eliminate it and hopefully that would prevent progression. But it’s not as simple as it seems, there are a lot of complications. Antibiotics don’t penetrate the prostate very well and you would need to choose an antibiotic that only kills certain bacteria.”did he declare.
These results nevertheless give a lot of hope to the research team. “It is not yet known whether these new microorganisms are responsible, but if it could be proven, we have a potential route to prevention.“, concludes one of the researchers.
Sources:
- Microbiomes of urine and the prostate are linked to human prostate cancer risk groups, European Urology OncologyMarch 25, 2022
- Discovery of bacteria linked to prostate cancer hailed as potential breakthrough, The GuardianApril 20, 2022
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